Not only has the men's and women's LSU track and field teams hosted major meets and had outstanding squads and sent many athletes to the Olympics, in early May each year there is a special event taking place there — the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state track and field meets.

Before I started working here over a decade ago, I didn't have as much of an appreciation for track and field.

The first few years I covered the state meet, I enjoyed it and my appreciation grew, but in 2005, I saw something that helped to really peak my interest in the sport.

Just a few months before Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, a freshman track athlete from St. Augustine named Karjuan Williams was blistering up the national charts in the 800-meter run.

He had one of the fastest high school times in the nation that year, and heading into the state meet everyone wanted to see Williams run.

The state meet on the Saturday when Classes 3A, 4A and 5A compete is always crowded, but in 2005 it seemed like every track and field fan in the state wanted to see what Williams would do, and the historic 5,680-seat facility was busting at the seams.

The question wasn't if Williams would win his event, the question was would he set the state's composite record in the 800 and take a shot at the national high school record.

Pretty much from the start of the race, the entire crowd was cheering Williams on and the public address announcer was calling out his splits and adding to excitement.

When he came around for the final 200 meters, the place was going crazy. People were yelling and screaming and jumping up and down while rooting Williams on to the finish.

And while he fell short of the national high school record that day, his time of 1:50.33 set the state record for the state meet and holds solid today. Williams won the hearts of those in attendance.

It was a special race and one I will never forget.

Everyone is looking for that Karjuan Williams-moment at the state meet, and while it doesn't happen every year, every year something special takes place in the high school ranks at Bernie Moore.

This year numerous area athletes will travel to Baton Rouge looking for that kind of moment on Saturday.

You can enter Bernie Moore Stadium on any given day of a state track championship never knowing or caring anything about the sport, and you can leave there a huge fan.

All it takes is watching someone as talented as Williams, or even taking in a race that comes down to the wire with a state title on the line, and you can be hooked.

Staff Writer Kelly McElroy can be reached at 857-2211 or at kelly.mcelroy@houmatoday.com.

<p>There are many historic sports venues on the LSU campus.</p><p>Tiger Stadium, of course, where LSU plays it football game on Saturdays is the most famous.</p><p>Then there is the Pete Maravich Assembly Center where both the LSU men's and women's basketball teams have had lots of success and the Lady Tigers gymnastics teams is always stellar. </p><p>You also have Alex Box Stadium where the LSU baseball program has proven to be one of the tops in the country and other top-notch sports venues.</p><p>But the Bernie Moore Track Stadium sometimes goes a little overlooked.</p><p>Not only has the men's and women's LSU track and field teams hosted major meets and had outstanding squads and sent many athletes to the Olympics, in early May each year there is a special event taking place there — the Louisiana High School Athletic Association state track and field meets.</p><p>Before I started working here over a decade ago, I didn't have as much of an appreciation for track and field.</p><p>The first few years I covered the state meet, I enjoyed it and my appreciation grew, but in 2005, I saw something that helped to really peak my interest in the sport.</p><p>Just a few months before Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, a freshman track athlete from St. Augustine named Karjuan Williams was blistering up the national charts in the 800-meter run.</p><p>He had one of the fastest high school times in the nation that year, and heading into the state meet everyone wanted to see Williams run.</p><p>The state meet on the Saturday when Classes 3A, 4A and 5A compete is always crowded, but in 2005 it seemed like every track and field fan in the state wanted to see what Williams would do, and the historic 5,680-seat facility was busting at the seams.</p><p>The question wasn't if Williams would win his event, the question was would he set the state's composite record in the 800 and take a shot at the national high school record.</p><p>Pretty much from the start of the race, the entire crowd was cheering Williams on and the public address announcer was calling out his splits and adding to excitement.</p><p>When he came around for the final 200 meters, the place was going crazy. People were yelling and screaming and jumping up and down while rooting Williams on to the finish.</p><p>And while he fell short of the national high school record that day, his time of 1:50.33 set the state record for the state meet and holds solid today. Williams won the hearts of those in attendance.</p><p>It was a special race and one I will never forget. </p><p>Everyone is looking for that Karjuan Williams-moment at the state meet, and while it doesn't happen every year, every year something special takes place in the high school ranks at Bernie Moore.</p><p>This year numerous area athletes will travel to Baton Rouge looking for that kind of moment on Saturday.</p><p>You can enter Bernie Moore Stadium on any given day of a state track championship never knowing or caring anything about the sport, and you can leave there a huge fan.</p><p>All it takes is watching someone as talented as Williams, or even taking in a race that comes down to the wire with a state title on the line, and you can be hooked.</p><p>Staff Writer Kelly McElroy can be reached at 857-2211 or at kelly.mcelroy@houmatoday.com.</p>